Worcester fireworks to be heavily policed

Wednesday

Jul 3, 2013 at 9:38 AMJul 5, 2013 at 1:37 PM

Local police are asking drivers to be aware of pedestrians and children in heavily congested areas as people gather to watch local fireworks displays in Central Massachusetts, and there will be a heavy police presence in the city during all July Fourth events. Worcester is one of a handful of communities with fireworks scheduled for tonight.

By Donna Boynton TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

WORCESTER — Local police are asking drivers to be aware of pedestrians and children in heavily congested areas as people gather to watch local fireworks displays in Central Massachusetts, and there will be a heavy police presence in the city during all July Fourth events.

Worcester is one of a handful of communities with fireworks scheduled for tonight.

All city streets will remain open for the Fourth of July festivities. The Worcester Police Department expects heavy traffic in the Shrewsbury Street area.

Open containers and alcoholic beverages are not permitted in public areas. Police details will be positioned in the most populated areas to maintain safety. Summer Impact Patrols will also be working during the Independence Day festivities.

In addition, police will be looking for aggressive and impaired drivers throughout the weekend, as well as residents in possession of illegal fireworks.

Meanwhile in Auburn tonight, Packachoag Street will be shut down from Elmwood Street to Kimball Road beginning around 7 p.m. Traffic will be detoured down Elmwood Street to Hampton Street and back to Packachoag in both directions. Parking will be allowed on one side of nearby side streets and on one side of the closed portion of Packachoag Street.

If you are packing the cooler and the blankets to take in a local fireworks show tonight, don't forget the umbrella, just in case.

While there are no widespread storms in the forecast that would dampen local pyrotechnics displays planned for this evening, forecasters said scattered showers may pop up.

Fireworks are on schedule for 9:30 p.m. at Cristoforo Colombo on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester.

"As we speak, everything is scheduled to go off as planned,” Colleen Bamford, spokeswoman for the city, said this morning.

Ms. Bamford added that conditions will be monitored throughout the day.

“There might be scattered showers and thunderstorms in the area, but by 9 p.m., most of them will be winding down,” said Kevin Cadima, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Taunton. “The probability of rain is definitely not zero, but they will be very isolated and scattered. The odds are we will stay dry.”